Powered wheel chocking devices have been developed to allow a vehicle (e.g., a straight truck, a trailer with or without a tractor, etc.) to be secured at a desired location (e.g., a loading dock) so that loading, unloading or other operations can be performed without risk that the vehicle will unexpectedly move away. Such wheel chocking devices typically include a chock that can be selectively moved by a drive mechanism between a chocked position and an unchocked position. These devices are commonly provided with visual and audible signals that indicate when the chock is in the chocked position and when the chock is in a unchecked position.
One type of powered wheel chocking device has been designed by Michel Roux, and is disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 537,075. The Roux device includes a chock that is movable between an unchecked lowered position and chocked raised position. The Roux device is designed to maintain the chock in a lowered position until the chock has been moved longitudinally into contact with the vehicle wheel. After contact with the vehicle wheel, further movement of the drive mechanism causes the chock to pivot to the raised position to secure the vehicle wheel.
A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,965 to Springer et al. The Springer device also includes a chock that is movable between lowered and raised positions, and the chock is designed to be moved longitudinally into contact with the vehicle wheel while the chock is in the lowered position. After contact with the wheel, the drive mechanism will continue to drive a portion of the chock until the chock moves to the raised position.